15 Throwback NBA Ballers That Could Cook Anthony Edwards

If there’s one thing NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Anthony Edwards has, it’s confidence. But Magic Johnson doesn’t want to hear anything about that until Edwards is a champion. Edwards turned heads days ago when he declared Michael Jordan as the only real baller during his tenure in the NBA. It didn’t take long for NBA greats Magic Johnson and Isaiah Thomas to publicly disagree. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Edwards was asked about the difference between his generation of the NBA and generations of decades ago.  

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“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then,” Edwards barked. “So that’s why when they saw Kobe, they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.” Two all-time greats, including Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, wholeheartedly disagreed.

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Johnson sat down with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith when he commented. “I never respond to a guy who’s never won a championship… He didn’t win a college championship, I don’t even know if he won a high school championship.” Thomas was a bit more patriarchal in his approach. On X Thomas replied to a post from Yahoo! Sports with, “Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe.” The big question is, why does Edwards think that prior generations had “no skill”? To say that you think you’re better than someone is one thing, but to disrespect a league that’s been around for nearly 80 years is something else. Here are 15 throwback NBA ballers that could cook Anthony Edwards – if they were both in their primes, of course!

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1. Michael Jordan

Let’s go ahead and get the obvious out of the way. Michael Jeffrey Jordan all-time is top 2 – and he’s not 2 – when it comes to playing basketball.

2. Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

Before a kid named Stephen Curry came around, Magic Johnson was largely considered to be the greatest point guard to ever live. Prime Magic versus Anthony Edwards would be a must-watch TV, but Magic would certainly hold his own.

3. Larry Bird

Larry Bird is not only one of the best Boston Celtics players of all-time, but he’s one of the most talented men to ever pick up a basketball.

4. Isiah Thomas

8-time All-Star, 5-time All-Star, Assist Champion and NBA Champion. Saying a guy like Thomas isn’t skilled is wild.

5. Dominique Wilkins

Dominique Wilkins, known as ‘The Human Highlight Film”, would give Edwards everything he wanted on the basketball court. And then some.

6. Charles Barkley

Sir Charles may be one of the most underappreciated players of his era, and he could’ve absolutely cooked Anthony Edwards if they played at the same time.

7. Julius Erving

The 6’7″ NBA Champion, MVP and 4-time All-Star was one half of one of the greatest NBA rivalries ever.

8. Gary Payton

GP, aka “The Glove”, would hold his own against any offensive player, in any era. Including, but certainly not limited to, Anthony Edwards. Yeah, I said it.

9. Clyde Drexler

Clyde “The Glide” Drexler is one of the smoothest ballers to ever touch an NBA court.

10. Reggie Miller

Outside of Steph Curry, Reggie Miller may be the greatest shooter ever in the NBA. 

11. Grant Hill

To be honest, Grant Hill would of given today’s Edwards that work while he was still at Duke.

12. Scottie Pippen

If it wasn’t for Michael Jordan, more people may consider Scottie Pippen to be one of the best all-around talents in league history.

13. David Robinson

I’ve purposely tried to leave the big men off this list because the game was simply played differently back then. But there’s no denying that Robinson was a generational talent, and could absolutely play in any era of the NBA.

14. Penny Hawrdaway

If not for injuries, Penny Hardaway had the talent and skill to be a historic NBA player. His game was one that laid the blueprint for how Edwards plays, and Penny would’ve certainly given Edwards that work on any given day.

15. James Worthy

Don’t let the throwback frames fool you. James Worthy was a No. 1 overall pick, averaged 18 points per game and won three NBA titles. He was certainly a “skilled” player, and could hang with Ant any day on the court.